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Tuesday, 14 February 2006

Biya Castigates Journalists On Homosexuality Saga

By Kini Nsom

One of the main issues President Paul Biya harped on while delivering his traditional Youth Day speech, February 10, concerned Cameroonian journalists violating professional ethics.The President castigated journalists for what he called digging into people's private lives.He called on journalists to exercise press freedom with limits so as to respect peoples' privacy and professional ethics.

Although President Biya made no direct reference to the homosexuality saga currently rocking the country, it was clear in the minds of many observers that he was talking about the publication of a list of presumed homosexuals in the country.

The French language tabloid, L'Anecdote, triggered the controversial saga recently, when it published a list of some highly placed government officials and some public figures allegedly practising homosexuality.

Many newspapers took turns in relaying the same story in their various editions. The story has put those whose names were published in the ignominy of stigmatisation. It was within this context that Biya chided journalists for undermining the consequences of such a story, and making complete nonsense of social responsibility in the exercise of their profession.

Communication Minister Pierre Moukoko whose name appeared in the list of presumed homosexuals, was the first government official to react to the issue. While receiving New Year wishes from his collaborators at the Yaounde conference centre recently, the Minister tried in vain to stem the tides of a saga that has adulterated the moral image of the government.

Genesis

The Post learnt that the homosexuality saga started when some women who were reportedly frustrated by their husbands' homosexual practices, complained to the Archbishop of Yaounde, His Grace Victor Tonye Bakot.

The women reportedly went to seek solace from the spiritual leader of their society. That is why last Christmas, the Archbishop hinged his sermon on homosexuality. For two hours he condemned homosexuality as one of the worst sins. Some highly placed government officials listened to the sermon at the Yaounde Metropolitan Cathedral.

The publication of the homosexual list has left many women and children stigmatised because their husbands and fathers have been portrayed as homosexuals.

The wife of a senior government official in Yaounde has reportedly stayed away from her office because of shame, since her husband's name was published as one of the homosexuals.

I think that the job of the media is to correct the wrongs of the society and if being homosexual is one of those wrongs then they should write on it.Bledd the archbishop for hitting hard on this issue and please continue to condem such acts including corruption on the path of the people in power.

I think that the job of the media is to correct the wrongs of the society and if being homosexual is one of those wrongs then they should write on it.Blessed the archbishop for hitting hard on this issue and please continue to condem such acts including corruption on the path of the people in power.

How I wish these same women and wives of top government officials could seek solace from the archbishop on the corrupt acts of thier husbands.Why can't they go and say" please Archbishop bring my husband to reasoning and make him understand it is a sin for our family to keep flying out on holidays while so many children die of hunger and lack of health care each day".
I'm sure they are only concerned about homosexuality because it directly affects thier families and pride.

Homosexuality is a crime in the country and a taboo.It is the duty of the press to correct the societal wrongdoings especially if it comes from our so-called highly educated top government officials from renoun universities abroad.I am sure they didn't only obtain their quality education in the west but also imbibed some of their societal malpractices which their society have accepted to be normal.This is not the case in Africa.If our journalists have exercised professional misconduct and malpractice in exposing these so-called responsible personalities and digging into their private lives why have they not taken any legal action against these journalists for character defamation.The individuals in the list should be investigated and prosecuted but that will not be the case in the country we know as Cameroon.I feel sorry for their wives but they should realise that all the wealth and luxury they have been enjoying from their sodomy husbands have come with a prize.

COULD ANY CAMEROONIAN WHO READS THIS CIRCULATE THIS WEB LINK TO ALL THOSE YOU KNOW. IT MAY SEEM UNBELIEVEABLE, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS, JUST EMAIL ME AND I WILL GIVE YOU BACKING OR MORE EVIDENCE TO THIS STORY. OUR COUNTRY REALLY NEEDS HELP.

COULD ANY CAMEROONIAN WHO READS THIS CIRCULATE THIS WEB LINK TO ALL THOSE YOU KNOW. IT MAY SEEM UNBELIEVEABLE, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS, JUST EMAIL ME AND I WILL GIVE YOU BACKING OR MORE EVIDENCE TO THIS STORY. OUR COUNTRY REALLY NEEDS HELP.

Protests have marked the start of a trial in Cameroon, over the outing of alleged homosexuals in local newspapers.

Several thousand members of a youth group calling itself Free Youths gathered at the court in Yaounde Tuesday to denounce homosexuality.

Their president, Rufine Djentchou, told VOA she was trying to get people to sign a petition.

"Our association wants here to make a petition where we have to collect one million signatures and these signatures will prove that all the society of Cameroon are against homosexuals. We will not take a rest in our fight against it," she said.

Journalists were also present to show support for the two publications on trial, L'Anecdote and Nouvelle Afrique. One of them was Franklin Sone.

"If they go to prison, they will not regret it," he said. "Homosexuality, you can see the way the public reacted. About every newspaper that carried the story sold out. It's not to say there were millions of copies like in other parts of the world. But Cameroon is a small country. So if a newspaper can print 15,000, 30,000 copies and sell out, you can imagine that's really a very big issue in the public mind that people responded to it in that way."

More than 300 people were outed in three newspapers, starting with La Meteo in mid-January, for alleged homosexuality, which is a crime in Cameroon. The newspapers also claimed men were using sex with other men to advance their careers.

Defense lawyer Jacques Amougou tells VOA it is a trial about morals.

He says the trial will be very interesting since it will pit media rights against a government which, he says, seems little inclined to enforce the country's laws.

Those listed include two ministers, prominent businessmen and artists. Only one is suing so far, a top ruling party official, and government minister, Gregoire Owona, in charge of relations with national assemblies.

His lawyers refused to speak on the record. But journalist Jean-Claude Mbede read a letter that Owona wrote to journalists, denying he is gay.

The minister goes on to say it would be against his religion and education.

The communications minister, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, who was also on the lists, says the journalists had no sourcing, and that they will not be able to defend their case. Cameroon's official press watchdog group and the government's Cameroon Media Council have also condemned the articles on the grounds of insufficient ethics.

On Cameroon Youth Day last week, long-time President Paul Biya spoke out against what he called unacceptable reporting of uncontrolled rumors. On the other side of the debate, Cameroon's Roman Catholic bishop Victor Tonye Bakot condemned homosexuality and criticized Western governments for expanding gay rights.

The trial pitting the government minister against two newspapers resumes next week.

SHADES OF LEADERSHIP:
a)President Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville)went to New York as Current Chairman of the African Union to deliver a 15-minute speech to the UN General Assembly. He spent 8 eight) days in a hotel. He travelled with an entourage of 50 including his butler, his personal photographer and his wife's hairdresser.The bill: US$295,000 or approximately 147 million francs CFA.
More than 70% of his countrymen live on less than US$1.15 or 575 francs a day.Sassou Nguesso has asked that his country's debts be cancelled on the grounds that Congo cannot afford to repay them.The cost of the President's suite per day (US$8,500 or 4.2 million CFA francs)was more than what the average Congolese earned in a decade.

b)Late President Nyerere of Tanzania was worried about the vain display of importance (pomposity he called it) and waste of money fancied by some of his ministers, senior government officials and party leaders.So, he first wrote to them (letter dated July 13, 1963) and then summoned them all to State House for advice on ethical leadership.What he said bears repeating: "Some of the things we have done, like buying big cars, are bad mistakes. Everyone knows that we are not rich. And the only way to defeat our present poverty is to accept the fact that it exists,live as poor people and spend every cent we have in surplus on things that will make us richer, healthier and more educated in the future."
c)CONCLUSION:
In the case of Sassou Nguesso,I ask: how can a leader be so selfish or worse, so insensitive to the suffering of his people. Instead of debt forgiveness, the right answer in my view would be to apply political sanctions and, when warranted, criminal prosecution.
In the case of the Mwalimu, how one wishes our one and only Biya can take a leaf i.e. cut his bloated Cabinet, overhaul his graft-tainted civil service and fire off Nyerere-type salvoes. But then does our leader and his henchmen really care about legacies?

Have you southern cameroonians forgotten that Sassou was appointed by the colonial regime of france. It was through a civil impost by colonial elf serepca that he came to power. So what do you expect from him like biya or bongo? when he steals money, he shares with french mercenaries, the remains habitually needs to be used to purchase suits and other luxuries.

Those who expected Biya to say the contrary to the homosexuality had it all wrong. How can you bit the finger that feeds you? Biya himself is very occultic and I was just surprised that his name did not even figure in the list, for those who know his history with Ahidjo, will know what I am saying here.

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can somebody tell me whether the law of cameroon finds homosexuality unlawfull?i thought we agree that we living in an age where every human being is free to excicise his desires as long as there are lawful.thats the very fruits of democracy we preach every now and then.is it a question of human rights at the expense of societal moral standards?this is just the beginning.i personally do not approve of homosexuality but i believe if these persons are trully homosexuals they should come out and tell the world.cameroonians are civilised to understand.this can help the government take stands on the issue of homosexuality,instead of hiding and giving the world the impression that it doesnot excit or there are false rumours.the government must put its hand in facing the raelity of this issue by knowing the truth.since in the eyes of the majority of cameroonians who happen to find this sexual practises to be of the worst moral standards,we need to know the truth and know how to handle this issue in the future.because left like this,biya is saying everyone has the right to chose his sexual orientation but not giving society a reason to accept this practices.this is an issue that concerns our leaders,who ought to lead with example.its not a personal issue that u claim mr.president.they must tell us whether its right to practise homosexuality in cameroon.more to that the must be truth leaders and stand accountable to their subjects.love and peace.

Tita,
I have not finished reading your posting but let me frown at the way you approach this matter. You may not have been following the debate about this canker worm in our society very well. I know that in some places, homosexuals have been given the leeway to live and even get married, but you reckon that such laws were passed after a lot of ink and saliver had flown. And even after they were passed, there is still a lot of growing discontent about their existence. This simply points to the fact that, though legally not written, this practice is unwelcome in the world. Perhaps one of the reasons that it was never taken into great consideration is the fact that no one ever thought it would be practised at such an alarming rate.
And as far as I am concerned, we are particulary bitter with the practice in Cameroon because it comes from the top. It means that we are living under the influence of it and we can feel it in our everyday lives. This makes our case stand out as the most pathetic. In fact, after implanting corruption and making it become an unavoidable part of our lives, after making it impossible for the youth of Cameroon to find jobs in their own country, after driving foreign investors in the country with high taxes and rendering the citizens beggars, after nursing nepotism, favoritism, capital flight, tribalism,and so on... Biya has now opened a new chapter for Cameroonians - homosexuality. What have the common Cameroonian done wrong to this man? What have we done to merit this? Will this man never allow the world to hear anything good about Cameroon?
I was forced to revisit one of my old story books in which I read - when God wants to punish a people, he gives them a bad leader. I think we have had too much for more than 20 years.
We have nothing left to show the world. Biya has brought us so low that I think the only thing we can do is to stand up and chase him away from power. The time is now. It is too much.

When a country is being ruled by FRIENDS OF DOROTHY,
then any sane person should know things will get more dirtier.

Ateba wrote;
"when God wants to punish a people, he gives them a bad leader. I think we have had too much for more than 20 years.
We have nothing left to show the world. Biya has brought us so low that I think the only thing we can do is to stand up and chase him away from power. The time is now. It is too much".

This is good from you Ateba.Only if you Camerounian youths will take the bull by the horn,than waiting for the lame duck oppositon parties,The better.If you don't chase Biya junta and impose your own leader,Paris will replace biya with another.
Meanwhile AMBAZONIANS also want the LRC colonial Junta out of their land.The Colonial gov't of Robber Barons have purloin morethan enough of our resources with severe fatalities on our masses.It's
time for them to LEAVE.Leave.

Tiche Mbanwie: Why do you not address your request directly to the Post? The email address is at the top left hand column. I have a feeling that the post staff do not have sufficient time to read most of the comments to their articles.

Yes, this issue of homo as we call it has a secret that most of you don't know or havw not heard of. Let me tell you right now. I have stomached it for long but it keeps on bothering me why people should be a problem in our sosiety and people don't know what is behind.
My uncle whose names I will not disclose but his first name is John told me that, three years ago during a cabinet, the issue of AIDS came up and while they were debating on the possible solutions to it, Paul Biya Bi Mvondo told them that since women have been so infected with SIDA, the only solution was for them to join him and Mbella Mbappe in shooting it the San Francisco way because there you are 100% sure not to get infected since you can't determine facically which woman has it. He even went as far as saying even Chantal he hasn't confidence in her especially when they go to their Europe tours. She loves going partying with Stars and he ( Biya ) does not know what happens after their partying. That is the simple reason why he stands today defending them that it is their private life.
If actually it is their private life why is the constitution against it? why is there a punishment for those involved in it in the penal code?
The truth is he (Biya ) is affraid that if the issue goes to court our journalist are going to prove all what they wrote and there shall come a time when a carbinet Minister will reveal the truth especially as he had changed some of them and they are angry.
It is the same with corruption when they told him, he was asking for proves but today a list of those individual involve in embezzelment is coming out. Did he not know of this long ago? it is because he is the person promoting it. Lets wait and see if those black list for embezzelment will be brought to justice. If Amadou Ali jokes this issue will take he to his grave.

That is right, Bandolo. Let them take the mattar to court and prove the journalists wrong. Biya screwing his ministers? How unprofessional and how dirty. I say the same things if his ministers are women. You do not fuck people you work with, it contaminates the whole place and in the case of a president, it stinks up the whole land. You all are Biyas hos. What a mess. Shame on you all.

for once i agree with paul biya. what's a person's sexual orientation got to do with anyone? homosexuality may be illegal in cameroon but do we really have the right to tell someone how to express their sexuality - which by the way is their basic HUMAN RIGHT?
personally, i think cameroon has bigger problems - poverty, lack of education, aids (with a high rate in heterosexual populations) etc. if u live in the uk or usa u've probably heard of the 'down low' phenomenon whereby homophobic social attitudes drive many black men to underground gay activities. guess who bears the brunt of these clandestine deeds? their poor unsuspecting wives, many of whom end up with hiv. this is also the case in jamaica and i won't be surprised if the trend follows in cameroon. may be we need to be more open about these things. i don't see how someone being gay cuts a hair off my head.